Poetry (by Ann)

 

Poetry is the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy afternoon. 
It is the flow of pen on paper that glides so delicately. Some are intimidated by it. 
Never, ever be intimidated by paper.
Now, you may be thinking, “That is the silliest thing I have ever heard, intimidated by a piece paper and a pen.”
I want to see you sit down right now and write a poem. 
You can, just like that. Sitting down, looking around you, becoming aware of all that is around you. Not just the sights, but the smells, the sounds, the way the grass feels between your toes, that is what poetry is.

 For example, I was finishing feeding the chickens, it had been pouring all day, when the sun began to shine through the grey clouds, creating a greenish hue. The wind began to blow, lifting unknown fog out of the trees and carrying it off. Then, it began to hail. Small drops of hard ice began falling from the clouds. I stood there and watched as they bounced joyfully off the gravel in the driveway.
 That is poetry, it doesn’t have to rhyme, it doesn’t have to make any sense at all. It just has to come from your eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and hands.

by Ann

Teo's Fox Hat~ 2013

Teo (Mateo) is 8 weeks old now! 

He promptly grew out of the baby bonnet I made him, so it was time for a new hat! 

Turns out it fits him perfectly, not much room to grow. 

Ear pattern is from Kristen Cooper's Woodland Fox Baby (Ravelry Link) hat patern.

The hat pattern is my creation. 

I wanted to make earflaps and a button band strap to keep it on him.

Malabrigo worsted merino yarn in Garnet. 

Yarn held doubled and knit on a sz. 9 needle.

 I turned the ears around though, so the knit side showed 

from the back and the white inner ear covered the garter side. 

Button is from my vintage button jar collection. Perfect color.

 

Cute overload.

David's Smokin' Hot Flame Hat~ 2013

My second colorwork project~

The hat pattern is a modification of the Thorpe Hat (Ravelry Link) 

by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops.

I modified the pattern math so it worked with a worsted weight gauge yarn and to accomodate the colorwork.

The design is inspired by Flame On by Jessy Henderson (Ravelry Link)

and the flame pattern is inspired by Socks in Flames by Hanna Valkila (Ravelry Link).

Made from Miss Babs Yowza in Marigold and Starling.

  Perfect hat for a cool dude.


Special thanks to his mamma, Char, for the photos of David.

Mateo's Infant Hat & Bootie Set~ 2012

Mateo's Mamma (Erin) knit a sweater for him and he needed a hat and booties to go with it.

I think this is the sweetest baby hat and love the vintage look...

Hat pattern is the Top Down Bonnet by Adrian Bizilla of Hello Yarn. (Ravelry Link)

LOVE this pattern.

Yarn is Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca DK.

Size 5 needle. 

His booties are simple, classic booties from the Pom-Pom Booties pattern in Vintage Knits for Modern Babies by Hadley Fierlinger. (Ravelry Link)

Size 4 needles.

Pattern is adorable, but beware of editing errors in the directions.

MOD... I made the cuff in a K1P1 rib and made it longer so it can be folded down.  

The ties are a crochet chain instead of a twist and I omitted the poms.

 Here Teo is modeling the sweater his mamma, Erin, knit for him before he was born. 

Pattern is the Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly Brooker.  (Ravelry Link)

~ Reenie

HAPPY! My word for 2013~

Each year I choose a word to represent the coming year. Something I want to focus on and create.

My latest "life realization" is that happiness is a choice.

It's not something you wait for, not something that happens to you spontaneously one day.

You CHOOSE to be happy.

So here is my theme song for 2013... sung by Roger Miller. (who we named a rooster after last year)

and here it is performed by the MUPPETS(The Googoolala Jubilee Jugband)~

and here are the lyrics...

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't go a-swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
SPOKEN: "Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd"

FADE
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

Life Happens~ Photos of Life

Photos from January~

It's been a frosty month. Cold and sunshiney. 

Not your typical PNW winter...

 I made my art journal for 2013~! 

This is an in-progress photo. More to come. 

Mushroom village.

A Selfie. Complete with bedhead and in jammies.

My studio helpers. This day they were helping me sew. 

Neighborhood Solstice bonfire. Hosted by our fantastic neighbors, Dave & Marieke. 

My chickens, striking a pose. 

Ann in her pink fedora.

The walk Paul and the girls dragged me on when I was beyond cranky.

It cheered me up, but made my knees cranky.

Ice at the pond pipe.

Frosty sunshineyness.

Skate day with friends. 

Ann basking on the dock. 

Ice fault line. 

Jack frost!

Sun through the moss. 

Happy pickle! 

Music night. 

Sun through the frosty willow tree. 

In 2009 I started to take a photo each and every day. They help me to remember a bite of our every day, and have been so much fun to browse through to remind us of our lives. 

Because life is all about the small things. 

I now take the photos with my phone and upload them to instagram. 

Want to follow me on instagram? My username is reeniehanlin.

There is a link to my album in the right column above.

You are my Sunshine~

This is my Paw.

He passed on over five years ago now, but is still with me almost every day. 

He was my person you see, one of my favorite all time people.

This is us on his tractor when I was one.

This was his band.

The Stump Jumpers.

They were a comedy/ gospel/ country band who did little shows in retirement (convalescent) homes in PA. Note the silly outfits and hats.

About a year ago I bought a cassette converter to transfer his tapes to digital files,
only I could not bear to listen to them, it made me sad to hear his voice.

Until yesterday... he kept popping up all over so I said "alright already!" and started transferring them.

Here is a recording of the Stump Jumpers performing "You are my Sunshine" (as a sing-along with the audience), complete with a heckling and comedy intro (which only lasts a few seconds). My Paw is the feisty heckler in the beginning (yap yap yap) and the raspy, tone-deaf voice that starts the song off.... he plays the piano.  Note the the heavy PA Dutch accents.

Miss you Pawey.
xo